California earthquakes

M1.8 earthquake 9 km SE of Alta, California

A magnitude 1.8 earthquake struck 9 km SE of Alta, California on Fri, Mar 13, 1981, 11:56 AM PST (19:56 UTC), 0 km (0 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.7 4 km NW of Lincoln, California. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
1.8 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-03-13 19:56:12 UTC
Depth
0.5 km (0.3 mi), shallow
Epicenter
39.144° N, 120.743° W
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty
About 1.3 km horizontally, 8.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.17
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
259°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
10

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 29 in the 60 days after this one and 19 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.63 km SSW of Soda Springs, California · 16628 days ago · 15 km deep · 34 km away
  2. 2.74 km NW of Lincoln, California · 16627 days ago · 10 km deep · 57 km away
  3. 2.34 km SE of Palermo, California · 16626 days ago · 8 km deep · 72 km away
  4. 3.04 km NW of Lincoln, California · 16626 days ago · 9 km deep · 57 km away
  5. 1.69 km WNW of Plumas Eureka (historical), California · 16617 days ago · 7 km deep · 74 km away
  6. 3.58 km NNW of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 9 km deep · 53 km away
  7. 2.211 km NW of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 7 km deep · 50 km away
  8. 2.011 km NNW of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 11 km deep · 52 km away
  9. 2.011 km N of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 7 km deep · 59 km away
  10. 2.29 km NNW of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 12 km deep · 54 km away
  11. 2.39 km NNW of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 14 km deep · 52 km away
  12. 3.88 km NNW of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 5 km deep · 54 km away
  13. 2.39 km NNW of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 11 km deep · 53 km away
  14. 1.710 km NNW of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 13 km deep · 51 km away
  15. 2.99 km NW of Truckee, California · 16614 days ago · 14 km deep · 49 km away
  16. 2.08 km WNW of Truckee, California · 16610 days ago · 25 km deep · 46 km away
  17. 3.19 km NNW of Truckee, California · 16609 days ago · 9 km deep · 54 km away
  18. 2.110 km NW of Truckee, California · 16608 days ago · 12 km deep · 51 km away
  19. 2.48 km NW of Truckee, California · 16603 days ago · 13 km deep · 50 km away
  20. 2.14 km SE of Palermo, California · 16603 days ago · 6 km deep · 71 km away
  21. 1.85 km SE of Palermo, California · 16602 days ago · 6 km deep · 71 km away
  22. 2.218 km ENE of Pollock Pines, California · 16599 days ago · 3 km deep · 46 km away
  23. 1.711 km NW of Truckee, California · 16597 days ago · 4 km deep · 49 km away
  24. 2.25 km WSW of Mokelumne Hill, California · 16596 days ago · 5 km deep · 95 km away
  25. 2.013 km SW of Kingvale, California · 16595 days ago · 16 km deep · 20 km away
  26. 2.45 km SE of Palermo, California · 16591 days ago · 6 km deep · 70 km away
  27. 2.27 km WNW of Sierra City, California · 16586 days ago · 10 km deep · 49 km away
  28. 1.75 km WNW of Bangor, California · 16583 days ago · 6 km deep · 69 km away
  29. 4.210 km WSW of Virginia City, Nevada · 16582 days ago · 10 km deep · 85 km away

Before

  1. 1.94 km WNW of Alpine Village, California · 16629 days ago · 11 km deep · 86 km away
  2. 2.7Northern California · 16630 days ago · 7 km deep · 73 km away
  3. 1.810 km NNE of Bear Valley, California · 16635 days ago · 13 km deep · 93 km away
  4. 1.811 km NNE of Bear Valley, California · 16635 days ago · 0 km deep · 93 km away
  5. 1.59 km WSW of Markleeville, California · 16638 days ago · 2 km deep · 92 km away
  6. 1.95 km SSW of Kingvale, California · 16639 days ago · 7 km deep · 29 km away
  7. 2.58 km SW of Clio, California · 16639 days ago · 14 km deep · 61 km away
  8. 1.97 km E of Cromberg, California · 16647 days ago · 5 km deep · 80 km away
  9. 1.810 km SE of Soda Springs, California · 16650 days ago · 32 km deep · 39 km away
  10. 2.29 km WSW of Markleeville, California · 16651 days ago · 3 km deep · 92 km away
  11. 2.47 km N of Little Grass Valley, California · 16651 days ago · 21 km deep · 74 km away
  12. 2.04 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16651 days ago · 0 km deep · 63 km away
  13. 3.07 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16651 days ago · -1 km deep · 60 km away
  14. 2.02 km SSE of Cromberg, California · 16653 days ago · -1 km deep · 77 km away
  15. 2.90 km W of Mesa Vista, California · 16653 days ago · 2 km deep · 89 km away
  16. 2.04 km SE of Palermo, California · 16654 days ago · 6 km deep · 72 km away
  17. 2.19 km S of East Quincy, California · 16654 days ago · 2 km deep · 80 km away
  18. 1.95 km WSW of Whitehawk, California · 16655 days ago · 0 km deep · 62 km away
  19. 2.18 km SSW of Kingvale, California · 16656 days ago · 14 km deep · 26 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1061304. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:19 PM UTC.